Should the Roman Catholic Church, and the various subsidiary groups and organizations that exist under its umbrella and operate at its direction, be entitled to state- and federal-tax exemptions?

A few years ago, only crackpots or militant atheists would raise such a question. But in light of the Catholic Church's high-profile role in repealing same-sex-marriage rights — first in California and now in Maine — that question no longer seems frivolous or marginal.

There is no doubt that the Catholic Church crossed the line that separates constitutionally protected religious instruction from prohibited political advocacy in its Maine fight.

A large and growing Facebook community in that state has now dedicated itself to nullifying the Church's tax-exempt status. The leading same-sex marriage defense group there is also urging citizens to file complaints with the Internal Revenue Service.

It would be fitting indeed if the patriarchal and authoritarian Church fathers were called to atone by those more traditionally minded Mainers who believe in the separation of church and state mandated by the Constitution. It is also welcoming to see that at least some in Congress are recoiling from the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops' (USCCB) pernicious intervention in the national health-care-reform debate.

A recent statement by Democratic congresswoman Lynn Woolsey of California states the case clearly:

The role the bishops played in pushing the Stupak amendment, which unfairly restricts access for low-income women to insurance coverage for abortions, was more than mere advocacy.

They seemed to dictate the finer points of the amendment, and managed to bully members of Congress to vote for added restrictions on a perfectly legal surgical procedure.

And this effort was subsidized by taxpayers, since the Council enjoys tax-exempt status.

Though a strong argument can be made that the USCCB should have its tax-exempt status revoked, that is unlikely to happen. Like the defense industry and Wall Street, the Catholic Church flexes formidable political muscle. To paraphrase the late Lenny Bruce, who was by equal measures appalled and impressed by the reach of the Vatican: they don't call it the Church for nothing.

The most effective way to negate the militantly conservative influence of the institutional Catholic Church and its newfound conservative evangelical allies is to target the laws regulating lobbying.

Religious organizations get automatic 501(c)(3) status, which essentially exempts them from most lobbying restrictions and reporting requirements that other nonprofits face. That status should not be automatic.

Like other nonprofits, religious groups should have to petition for 501(c)(3) status. If a religious group has a history of political action, that status should be denied. And if a religious group qualifies for such status but then violates the guidelines, that status should be revoked.

In this age of increasing political transparency, reporting requirements — especially as they relate to lobbying — have become more stringent. Within this context, it is outrageous that the USCCB can spend unknown amounts of money and countless hours in face-to-face lobbying time without having to disclose any of the details.

It is clearly in the national interest to know how religious groups conduct tax-exempt public activities. In a narrower sense, it is also in the interests of all religious denominations to know how the groups that work in their name operate — on the federal level, and on the state and local level, as well.

Sin tax Among other things, your editorial calling for the Catholic Church to be punitively taxed for its anti-abortion lobbying suffers from a breathtaking lack of inconsistency.

Father Feeney Leonard Feeney, a defrocked Jesuit priest and pretty much of a legend in this city as a result of the “sermons” he preached on the Common every Sunday without fail for eight years, from 1949 to 1957, attracting sometimes as many as a thousand people to heckle and to laugh as much as to listen—Father Leonard Feeney is in the news again.

Harvard ‘ACT UP’ show gets rise from right-wingers Taking a detour from directly bashing President Obama, right-wingers are now hot and bothered by a Harvard art exhibit. And they have an Obama administration foil toward whom they can channel their bile.

Same-sex marriage From the podium at EqualityMaine's 25th anniversary dinner last Saturday night, former state senator Ethan Strimling posed a question to the 630 people in attendance: If gay marriage were allowed in Maine, how many of you would tie the knot?

Catholic Tilt If, sometime in the next few decades, humanity kicks the religion habit once and for all, the current crop of atheist agitators will deserve plenty of credit.

Interview: James Carroll The Phoenix 's Adam Reilly recently spoke with Globe columnist James Carroll about his new book, Practicing Catholic (Houghton Mifflin), and his critical but durable relationship with the Roman Catholic Church.

Keeping faith His publicist calls Piers Paul Read "the anti-Dan Brown." She's capitalizing on a buzz - worthy name, sure, but it's a fairly insightful description of a man whose latest book, The Death of a Pope , explores not the Brownish theme of the Catholic Church secretly at work in world affairs, but rather its inverse.

Just the beginning More than a few people asked us why we are publishing this special section now — now that gay-marriage opponents have filed their People's Veto signatures, now that same-sex marriages will not be taking place at least until after Mainers vote on the issue on November 3.

The Church and abuse If the hierarchy of the Roman Catholic Church is to regain secular respect, and if it is to reassure its troubled communicants that it is worthy of their devotion, it must reconcile itself to the reality that child abuse is not just a horrendous sin requiring penance and spiritual absolution, but also a vile crime that demands civil prosecution.

MERCY AND SAL DIMASI | March 13, 2013 When it comes to showing a modicum of mercy to some of those convicted of federal crimes, Barack Obama is shaping up to have the worst track record of any president in recent memory.

NEXT, MARRIAGE EQUALITY | March 05, 2013 On March 27 and 28, the US Supreme Court is scheduled to hear arguments in two cases that could essentially put America on the road to full marriage equality.

THUS SPAKE MARKEY | February 26, 2013 Last week, Congressman Ed Markey inadvertently injected some daring political thinking and a touch of historical imagination into the race to fill the US Senate seat vacated by John Kerry's appointment as secretary of state.

DRONES: 10 THOUGHTS | February 20, 2013 Foreign drone attacks are almost (but not quite yet) as American as apple pie.